How much does a therapist website cost in Ireland and the UK?

A therapist website in Ireland or the UK typically costs between €500 and €8,000 to build, depending on who builds it and what is included. Ongoing costs, including hosting, domain, booking systems, and payment processing, add another €50-200 per month. This post breaks down what you actually need and what each option costs.

There is no single right answer here. The best approach depends on your budget, how much time you can put into building and maintaining a website, and whether you want to focus on your clinical work or on managing technology. But there are common traps, and this post aims to help you avoid them.

Key takeaways

DIY website builders like Squarespace and Wix cost €15-30 per month but require your own time to build and maintain
Freelancer builds typically cost €1,500-4,000 and leave you responsible for ongoing maintenance
Agency builds cost €3,000-8,000 or more and vary widely in quality
Managed services like Karv cost £100/month and include everything: website, booking, payments, and support
The hidden costs (booking systems, payment tools, GDPR compliance) add up quickly regardless of how you build the site

What therapists actually need from a website

Before pricing anything, it helps to be clear about what a therapy website needs to do.

It needs to build trust quickly. Most people looking for a therapist are in a difficult period of their life. They need to feel that you are credible, that you understand the problems they are experiencing, and that booking a session is straightforward.

It needs to convert visitors into enquiries or bookings. A beautiful website that does not generate client enquiries is not doing its job. The primary goal of a therapy website is to make it easy for the right people to reach you.

It needs to be GDPR-compliant. In Ireland and the UK, any website that collects personal data, including through a contact form, must comply with data protection law. This includes a privacy policy, cookie consent, and secure data handling.

It needs to work on mobile. Most people search for therapists on their phones. If your website does not load well on a small screen, you are losing potential clients.

Beyond those fundamentals, the rest is optional. A blog is useful for SEO. Testimonials build trust. An FAQ page can reduce admin. But none of these are required to get started.

Option 1: DIY website builders (€15-30 per month)

Squarespace and Wix are the most commonly used DIY website builders among therapists. Both offer templates, drag-and-drop editing, and built-in hosting. Squarespace starts at around €16 per month for a basic plan; Wix starts at around €15 per month.

The appeal is obvious: low cost and no need to hire anyone. If you are technical, reasonably design-aware, and have time to invest, a DIY website can look professional.

The hidden cost is your time. Building a website on Squarespace or Wix typically takes 20-40 hours if you are doing it properly, including writing copy, finding images, setting up pages, and configuring settings. For most therapists, that time is worth significantly more than the cost of paying someone else to do it.

There are also limitations. Squarespace and Wix do not include booking systems or payment processing as standard. You will need to add Cal.com or a similar tool for bookings, and Stripe for payments. The GDPR setup, including cookie consent and a proper privacy policy, also requires additional configuration.

Total ongoing cost for a DIY setup: approximately €35-80 per month once you add booking and GDPR tools.

Option 2: Freelancer build (€1,500-4,000 one-off)

Hiring a freelancer to build your website is a middle ground between DIY and a full agency. A competent freelancer can produce a professional therapy website for €1,500-4,000, depending on complexity, their experience, and whether copywriting is included.

The advantage is that you get a site built for you without the time investment of doing it yourself.

The disadvantage is that you are typically on your own once the build is complete. If something breaks, if you need to update content, or if you want to add a page, you either need to pay the freelancer again or learn to do it yourself. Quality varies considerably: a freelancer who charges €1,500 may produce excellent work or something that looks amateur.

Freelancer builds also rarely include GDPR compliance, booking system setup, or payment integration. Those are usually separate costs.

When evaluating freelancers, ask to see therapy-specific work they have done, ask how they handle GDPR, and get clarity on what happens after the site is live. A freelancer who will not be available for ongoing support is a risk.

Option 3: Agency build (€3,000-8,000+)

Digital agencies typically charge more than freelancers because they have teams, project managers, and quality assurance processes. For a therapy website, agency prices in Ireland and the UK typically start at €3,000 for a basic site and can reach €8,000 or more for a site with custom features, copywriting, photography, and SEO work.

The higher cost does not always mean better results. Many agencies that work with therapists are general-purpose web agencies that do not specialise in the sector. They may produce a technically sound site that does not convert clients effectively because they do not understand how people search for therapists or what builds trust in that context.

Agency builds are also typically project-based. You pay upfront, the site is built, and then you are responsible for hosting, maintenance, and updates. If the agency charges for ongoing support, this is usually additional.

Option 4: Managed service (£100/month for therapist-specific providers)

A managed service is a different model entirely. Rather than paying a one-off cost for a website, you pay a monthly fee that covers everything: the website, hosting, booking system, payment processing, GDPR compliance, and ongoing support.

Karv charges £100/month for 36 months, then £35/month after that. Alternatively, you can pay £3,000 upfront. The monthly price includes a professionally designed Next.js website, Cal.com booking setup, Stripe payment integration, GDPR-compliant file storage configuration, and ongoing technical support.

This model suits therapists who want to focus on their clients rather than on managing technology. There are no surprise costs, no maintenance headaches, and no need to find a new developer when something goes wrong.

The total cost over three years at £100/month is £3,600. For comparison, a mid-range agency build plus three years of hosting, booking tools, and GDPR software would typically cost more than that, without the included support.

The hidden costs that catch therapists out

Regardless of how you build your website, there are costs that most therapists do not anticipate at the start.

Booking system

You need a way for clients to book appointments online. Cal.com is free for basic use and integrates with Google Calendar. The pro version, which adds payment collection and additional integrations, costs €12 per month. Alternatives like Acuity Scheduling or Cliniko start at higher price points.

Payment processing

Stripe charges 1.4% + €0.25 per transaction for European cards. On a €90 session, that is approximately €1.51. On 20 sessions per week, that is around €30 per month. Not a large cost, but worth factoring in.

GDPR compliance tools

A cookie consent tool like CookieYes or Cookiebot costs approximately €8-20 per month for a basic plan. If you want a lawyer to review your privacy policy, that is typically €200-500 as a one-off cost.

Copywriting

A professional copywriter who specialises in therapy websites will typically charge €500-1,500 to write homepage, about, and services copy. This is often the most impactful investment you can make in your website, because the words are what convert visitors into clients.

Photography

A professional headshot session typically costs €150-400 in Ireland and the UK. Using a professional photo makes a significant difference to how you come across on your website.

What to prioritise if you have a limited budget

If you are starting private practice with a tight budget, here is a practical order of priorities.

First, get the basics right: a professional website with HTTPS, a clear description of your services, and a contact form. This can be done on Squarespace for €16 per month.

Second, add a booking system. Cal.com free tier is sufficient to start.

Third, set up Stripe for payment collection, connected to your booking system.

Fourth, add a privacy policy and cookie consent. These are legally required and should not be skipped.

Fifth, invest in a professional photo and decent copywriting when you have the budget. These will have more impact on whether clients get in touch than any technical improvement to the site.

If you are ready to make the move to private practice and want everything handled for you, we build therapist websites in Ireland and the UK with booking, payments, and GDPR compliance included. See how it works.